Clinical supervisors’ perceptions of podiatry students’ preparedness for clinical placement and graduates’ preparedness for podiatry practice in Australia: An exploratory study

Abstract

Introduction: Little is known about Australian podiatry students’ preparedness for clinical placement and graduates’ preparedness for clinical practice. This qualitative study explored clinical supervisors’ perceptions of podiatry students’ and graduates’ preparedness-related challenges and their recommendations for improvement.Methods: Eleven registered podiatrists who had supervised or were still supervising students were interviewed. Transcribed interviews were thematically analysed. Benner’s (1984) stages of clinical competence from novice to expert informed the study.Results: Clinical supervisors were divided about students’ preparedness for clinical placements, with their perceptions ranging from generally prepared (n = 2) to unsure (n = 5) to unprepared (n = 4). They commented on junior versus senior students, institutional differences and specific clinical skill deficiencies, e.g., scalpel debridement and patient communication skills. Perceived challenges for students on placement included poorly developed clinical skills and low self-efficacy, both stemming primarily from insufficient hands-on experience. Participants suggested that for improved placement preparedness, students required better quality clinical experiences and communication skills training. Being work-ready, which most graduating Australian podiatrists were reported to be, involved being safe and self-efficacious. Participants also suggested that a supportive clinical environment, an internship and more advanced interpersonal skills would facilitate preparedness. Conclusion: In terms of Benner’s (1984) framework, during training, podiatry students should be considered novices, and they should be considered advanced beginners on graduation. An entry-level graduate should not be expected to be competent across all areas of clinical practice. Hands-on clinical practice during placements was needed for moving successfully through Benner’s (1984) stages of clinical competence. While clinical supervisors believed that podiatry training generally prepared students for clinical practice immediately following graduation, they asserted that manual clinical and communication skills improvement is required for clinical placements.

Competencies Associated With Australian and New Zealand Podiatrists’ Perceptions of Their Preparedness for Graduate Clinical Practice

“…Our study found that overall perceptions of clinical competence such that being an "advanced beginner" or lower, for fourteen respondents, strongly correlated with being "unprepared" for graduate practice, whereas being "competent" or higher for the majority, strongly correlated with being "prepared" for graduate practice. Such results likely strengthen our previous study findings of an expectancy that "advanced beginners" will advance to "competent" at graduation or soon thereafter, providing that appropriate support mechanisms are in place (Reynolds & McLean, 2021), such as gaining employment in community health within their first year of employment, which is a new finding from this study.…”

“…A set of questions (closed and open-ended items) informed by the literature and a previous qualitative study (Reynolds & McLean, 2021) (see Appendix) was developed using SurveyMonkey to measure respondents' perceptions of their overall preparedness to practise as a podiatrist at graduation (dependent variable), which included their preparedness for clinical placement as students, and their clinical competence at graduation to practise. The time commitment for this section of the survey was approximately eight minutes.…”

“…Knowledge of preparedness is therefore required to inform action and to improve the pre-and post-registration educational process of future podiatry students and graduates. To achieve this goal, and informed by a qualitative study of 11 clinical supervisors' perceptions of podiatry students' preparedness for clinical placements and graduates' preparedness for podiatry practice (Reynolds & McLean, 2021), this study further explores ANZregistered podiatrists' perceptions of their preparedness for clinical placement as students, their theoretical knowledge about core podiatry curriculum areas (e.g. biomechanics), patient/client groups (e.g.…”

Consensus‐based statements for assessing clinical competency in podiatry‐related work integrated learning

“…Another notable finding was that there is evidence to support the main essential elements accepted by our panel. Reynolds and McLean [ 16 ], when investigating Clinical Educator perceptions of podiatry students’ placement practice, identified that deficiencies in practical clinical skills and communication abilities contributed to a lack of preparedness. It is potentially this perceived importance of professional and communication skills in clinical performance, where neither are mutually exclusive, that led to several essential elements being identified across categories.…”